The Screw
by SchrodingersMonster
Summary: How Professor Franken Stein got his screw and how it works. Could be considered SteinxSpirit if you look at it with squinty eyes XD Rated T for mature themes/violence. Enjoy!


My little twist on how Stein got his screw. :3 Hope its not too bad. R&R if you like it C:

"I'm getting married."

The three words pounded through Stein like a cold, hard rock, leaving him broken. Tears pricked his eyes and a lump formed in his throat but he simply swivelled his chair, turning his back on his red haired weapon, back to his computer and continued clicking away on it.

"Congratulations." Even he could hear how pathetic he sounded. Madness had started to creep into his mind, its tendrils thick and clutching. But this time was different. Something was... wrong. The madness swirled in further, and suddenly Stein realized; it was laced with sadness. A hurt so deep, even his unfeeling soul could sense it. He tried blatently to shut it out, without success. At least the madness he knew how to deal with, but this, this was too much. Stein started to shake, and a small whimper escaped his body as he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Stein, please. Don't make this hard. You knew it was going to happen." He knew Spirit meant the words to be comforting and placating, but somehow they just made it worse. With a jolt, the silver haired meister realized he _loved _Spirit. There was no other explaination for the reaction he was having, the primal hurt that was clutching his soul in its hard, talon like grip. His stiched up heart squeezed painfully, as if to confirm what he was thinking.

Roughly, he shook off Spirit's hand and muttered, "I have work to do." He resumed his clicking once more, trying to ignore the hazy mist of madness that was settling like emulsion in his mind.

Spirit huffed, annoyed. "Stein, look at me." No answer. "Franken."

"What?" Click, click, click went the keys. The use of his first name always got him.

"Turn around."

"No."

"Why not?"

A single tear welled up and spilled over onto pale skin; Stein swallowed thickly and croaked, "Get out."

"But-"

"JUST GO!" He thundered, losing his self control. He stood up abruptly, knocking his chair to the ground. "Run back to your precious Kami, your perfect little _fiancee._" He spat the words out venemously. "Go look at her with your adoring puppy dog eyes, and leave me alone." Every muscle in his body was clenched as he stood with his back to Spirit, his hands clenched into fists and his frame still visibly shaking.

Spirit took in a sharp breath, as if about to say something, then thought the better of it. Stein listened intently as his footsteps retreated to the door, and as it opened he heard seven words that shattered the last of his self control.

"We chose you as the best man." The door shut softly. Stein stared down at his computer screen his face blank and his mind heavy. He felt the madness and the pain reaching out into the farthest corners of his mind, seeking to take over completely. The mist was a sickly white color, and he imagined that if it had a taste, it would be cloyingly sweet and overpowering.

Suddenly, the madness clicked it's last gear into place, and the scientist's eyes glazed over as his mouth stretched into a sinister grin and he started to chuckle. It was not the usual rare throaty chuckle he gave when he discovered something new; nor the amused laugh that escaped from between his lips when one of his few friends said something funny. No, this was a laugh that was filled with unclean insanity. He couldn't stop. Everything was suddenly just so funny.

He stumbled into the other room, appearing almost drunk. His hand shot out to clutch the wall so as not to fall down. Hazy green eyes searched the room for something, his mind sure that he'd seen it earlier when he'd been refilling his coffee mug. The chuckle died out as he spotted it.

Laying on his pristine counter was a giant screw, its dark grey metal glinting in the light of the bare bulb in the kitchen. It was the supposed missing part to a giant robot pre-Kishin that two of the EAT kids in his class had defeated the night before, and Stein was supposed to examine it to see if he could determine what the nearly impossible to damage metal was. Right now, he had another purpose in mind for it. He grasped it in his hand, feeling the density and smoothness of it. Conceding that it was good enough, he stumbled off to the bathroom.

Stein had two thoughts as he looked into the bare, cracked mirror at his reflection. The foremost one was that he had to get rid of this sadness, this hurt, this deep twisting pain, that he had to find a way to dispel the heavy fog that had settled in his mind, and that the only way to do that was with physical pain.

The second was the backdrop of his thoughts, deep and revirbating, it pounded like a drum in his diseased mind, _Spirit, Spirit, Spirit, Spirit..._

With these thoughts struggling through the thick, sickening fog, the madman positioned the screw against the side of his head and shoved.

As the world faded out in a haze of clear, stricking, white hot pain, all Stein could picture were two sparkling azure eyes, eyes that would never be his...

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep..._

Stein moaned and reached for his alarm clock, intending to hurl it across the room and sleep for another half hour at least. Instead, his hand felt nothing but air. Groggily, he opened his eyes. A bland hospital room greeted him, and he groaned again as his memories caught up with him. The madness must really be taking over me, he thought as he tried to sit up. His head felt curiously... heavy.

The doctor groaned as the realization hit him. Oh no. Please, please no. Spirit would never forgive him for this one.

Spirit... Ugh, he didn't even want to think about that right now. He already had, in his opinion, way too many emotions swirling around through his head. Although, he noted with some relief, madness was not one of them.

A pale, stitched and scarred hand reached up to the side of his head, almost tentatively, and he gave a short gasp when his long fingers brushed over cool metal. Damn. He really had done it. Curiosity struck and he gripped the screw, clicking it back experimentally. He instantly felt more alert, as if he'd just drunk an extra strong cup of coffee. Interesting.

His observations were interrupted by the door quietly opening, and a shock of red hair peeping through. Stein instantly turned away from the weapon, pretending to be interested in the TV remote. He felt rather than heard the soft footsteps as Spirit approached and sat down on the edge of his cot. Still the scientist ignored him. His hands were shaking as he tried to make the remote work, but he kept dropping the infernal device, not able to get a proper grip on it. Slowly, almost hesitantly, the remote was taken from him.

Stein closed his eyes and swallowed, trying to get a grip on himself. He clicked the screw backwards and the hazy pain that had been drifting back disappeared.

"What do you want, Spirit?" he muttered, eyes still closed. "Come to rub it in my face some more?"

He could almost _taste _the pain in his weapon's voice, it was so tangible. "No, Stein, of course not."

"Oh, of _course _not. Because that would just be _wrong_. And little Spirit Albarn can do no wrong." The shaggy, silver haired man was aiming for viciousness. He wanted to inflict pain, wanted to hurt the other man as much as he had been hurt.

"Franken." No answer. "Franken, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. No matter what else happened, you'll always be my best friend, and my first meister."

"Spirit, I'm lying in a hospital bed, strapped down by machines. My hands are shaking, and oh, that's right; I have a huge screw shoved through my skull. What on Earth makes you think I would be okay?"

The other man let out a shaky laugh, breaking some of the tension in the air.

"You're right, as always."

"Stroking my ego isn't going to get you anywhere." Stein retorted pissily.

"I know." Spirit sighed. "I'm sure you'd rather not see me right now, but I wanted to tell you that. And also this: I'll always be here for you. Even if you never want to see me again, I'll wait for you." Stein finally looked at him, and was not surprised to see genuine tears leaking from the corners of the redhead's eyes. Biting back a sigh, he warily put his hand on top of the other man's.

"I just need some time."

"I understand completely." Spirit said quickly. He was clearly eager to repair the friendship; he stood up. "I'll get out of your hair now." The weapon turned to the door.

"Wait."

He turned back. "Yes?"

The question had been nagging him for some time. "Why haven't they removed the screw from my head?"

Spirit scratched his head, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "From what the doctors have been telling us, every time they try, you... well... you attack." They both sweat dropped before Spirit turned back to the door, then turned around again.

Stein sighed. What now?

"Before I go, I just want to say one last thing. I'm so, so, sorry I did this to you." Stein nodded, his eyes closed, and said nothing. The door shut softly behind Spirit and the silver haired scientist cranked the screw back two clicks, the movement already feeling natural.

All better.

WOW! that was a lot longer than I anticipated it to be O: R&R always appreciated, thanks for reading and have a wicked day (:


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